Consumerism, commodity culture and health promotion

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Abstract
To date, little health promotion theory has been informed by recent socio-cultural theoretical developments in understanding consumerism, commodity culture and everyday life choices. ‘Culture’, as used in this context, is not limited to the traditional anthro pological definition but rather is understood both as a way of life including ideas, beliefs, language, institutions and structures of power, and as a range of practices and everyday activities encompassing artistic forms, archi tecture, mass-produced commodities, eating habits, and media products. An understanding of such theoretical developments is important to cast light upon the socio cultural settings in which people express consumption choices related to health status and respond to health promotion efforts, including the symbolic and social meanings of commodities, their function in shaping individuals' identities and the role and function of advertising in contemporary western societies. Under standing the socio-cultural context of health-related knowledges and practices this way allows health pro moters to stand aside from the usual privileging of ‘health’ to examine the other dominant meanings shaping people's personal and social identities and life style choices.

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